Masks
by CuriousChesnaught
Summary: "You know of my plans. You know of my ideals. I will eliminate all emotion," he clenched his fist and raised it, "I will crush all wills," Cyrus went outside, turned around and barked from the other side of the door, "I will ruin all knowledge to create the perfect world!" (AU; Anime-verse; FancyFashionshipping) (Future content may vary from summary)
1. Prologue

**They say that a prologue marks the beginning of a literary journey. Which is why I decided to mark my own with one. This is the official prologue for my fanfiction 'Masked Emotions'. A possibly 21 chapter fan-fiction featuring Dawn Berlitz and Serena as the main characters. Their shipping is called 'FancyFashionshipping'. It's a personal favorite of mine.**

**Authors note won't be included after the first chapter as they are not my thing. Any personal questions can be answered by looking at my Profile. However, any questions regarding the story will be answered through PM or email, if and only you provide me with yours.**

**Bold and Italic text is flashback text.**

**Enjoy the prologue.**

* * *

**~ == Prologue == ~**

"Why, Cyrus?" a man coughed out as the green, foggy, gas inched itself slowly in the room. Perspiration ran down his forehead as he struggled to loosen the ropes that bounded his wrists. His cloths were torn and his skin ripped. He was bruised to a very critical extent.

"Don't act coy with me, Alexander. You know well why," replied a man who looked younger than he was but had the same hair as he did.

* * *

**_"And then?" asked a fair man with dark-blue hair and deep-blue eyes. He eyes his daughter with pride as she flails her arms around to exaggerate the event._**

**_"The weedle was this big! I thought it was small but it was huge!" she explained. _**

**_"That sounds like you had a great adventure."_**

* * *

"We are brothers!" he yelled out, tugging at his restraints, "No matter how much you deny it, we are bound to-"

"I am bound to nothing!" roared Cyrus. His voice echoed through the room, creating large vibrations that were enough to scare an audience away. Alexander growled at the reply.

"You are. You'll always be bound to the human nature. You'll be bound to yourself," he said, with confidence in his tone. "Guilt will consume you. It will plague your mind. Our legacy would then wilt and suffer for the consequences of you mindless actions!"

* * *

**_"Dad, can you sing me a song?" asked a young girl, who was wrapped in her father's warm embrace. She was small and had blue, beautiful locks of hair. Her eyes were clear, blue and deep as the ocean and her skin pale, soft and fragile like a flower. _**

**_Her father looked at her and smiled warmly, "Sure, love. What kind of song?" he inquired. He clicked the button on the remote to close the TV._**

**_The girl let out an exasperated sigh, "I can't choose! Maybe you can sing me a lullaby?" She freed herself from his arms and sat on the sofa parallel to him._**

* * *

Cyrus ignored his brothers' rant and smiled at his way, amused at his babbling. "Do you have any last requests, brother?"

Alexander coughed violently and his head dropped. "Cyrus, don't do this! My daughter-"

"She will be fine under my care. I am her loving uncle, after all. I'll train her, and nurture her to become what she is destined to be," he pushed his hands down his pocket to only to bring out a match-box, "A pawn in my game to achieve the godly status."

* * *

**_"A lullaby?" his smile was huge and he couldn't help but melt as his daughter looked at him with her big, blue, beaming eyes. "Hmm, have ideas about which one? Oh, what about the butterfree song, it's nice, isn't it?"_**

**_"Dad, you sung that song last time. Make a new one!" she said clearly annoyed by her fathers' suggestion._**

**_"Okay then, Dawn. I think I have something special for you. Come on, let's get you tucked in to bed." He gently scooped his daughter in his arms and climbed up the stairs to her bedroom._**

* * *

"Cyrus, you have n o idea what you are doing. Man is never going to achieve that role. We are not worthy, especially not a man like you. So I beg of you, stop this!"

"Hush, Alexander. I want to remember the day you die as the day I am re-born," he sternly stated, "you are the only obstacle left in my path."

Alexander smiled at his way, and chuckled. His tone was confident and his eyes burning with pride. "The only obstacle, you say?"

* * *

**_"There we go!" he tossed the girl on her bed, earning a laugh from her side. "Which one is it?" she asked curiously and squirmed under her blanket in an attempt to be warm._**

**_Alexander laughed at her actions and turned her around so that she can face him. He tucked her in to comfort her and patted her head, "Patience, love." He made sure that she was warm since it was the mid of December and Sinnoh was facing a severe blizzard._**

**_With an intensified clearing of his throat, he took a deep breath and readied himself. Unfortunately he broke into a small chuckle as he saw a pair of bright blue eyes stare at him with anticipation. _**

**_"Dad!" she groaned._**

**_"Sorry, I could be serious if you stopped staring!" he defended himself._**

**_"Hmph. Fine," she pouted and closed her eyes tightly._**

**_Her father smiled and began to sing._**

* * *

Cyrus's eyes peered open in realization. "What do you mean?" he frowned and grabbed his brother's hair before tugging on it to lift his face up, "Tell me!" he demanded.

"Take a wild guess, brother," said Alexander before he coughed hysterically, his head hanging low and his voice cracking due to the harshness of the cough. Cyrus frowned and wore his gas-mask, "The air too unpleasant for you?" he chuckled loudly. "Or have your lungs been completely crushed by me?"

The blue-haired man chained to the seat breathed heavily, "The only thing you can crush is your own sanity."

His brother looked at him rather un-amused and sighed, "Mind telling me who your arsenal is?"

Alexander smirked, "My daughter."

* * *

**_"Goodnight, my angel  
Time to close your eyes"_**

**_Dawn smiled at the softness of his voice. She felt her worries fading away as he sung in his melodious tone._**

* * *

"Dawn Alexander Berlitz, my daughter. She will put an end to this."

Cyrus paused for a moment, his mouth hung agape. Then, out of no-where, he burst into a fit of laughter, "That pathetic excuse for an offspring?"

* * *

**_"Save these questions for another day_**

**_ I think I know what you've been asking me  
I think you know what I've been trying to say"_**

**_Alexander closed his eyes too. He felt himself give in to the lullaby as well. Every word laden with emotions and pride for his daughter, Alexander leaned forward to get close to her ear then he gently sung out loud._**

* * *

Cyrus turned around and started to move outside the room full of green gas. "I must say I am disappointed in you, brother. To think I was expecting you to be more of a challenge in my way to divinity."

* * *

**_"I promised I would never leave you.  
And you should always know  
Wherever you may go  
No matter where you are  
I never will be far away"_**

**_He paused and then started again._**

**_"Goodnight, my angel_**

**_ Now it's time to sleep"_**

* * *

Alexander panted and struggled to get a breath of fresh air, "Mark my words, Cyrus. She will find truth. She will find meaning. She will find the reason for her existence. When she does, she will make you pay."

Cyrus scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I already told you, Alex. Her place is with my other subjects, serving me through sacrifice and devotion."

"For how long do you expect that? Even of you do turn her into a monster as you are, she will find enlightenment as prophesied by Dialga!"

"When the time comes, I will eliminate her, mind you that," informed Cyrus.

Alexander closed his eyes, not letting the tears run down. If he stayed at home… if only he could see his daughter one more time and tell her he loves her and that she is something so much more, he'd die peacefully. Right now, he is clouded with regret.

"You know of my plans. You know of my ideals. I will eliminate all emotion," he clenched his fist and raised it, "I will crush all wills," Cyrus went outside, turned around and barked from the other side of the door, "I will ruin all knowledge to create the perfect world!"

"What will you gain?" whispered Alexander.

As if the words were carried by air into his ear, or he had telepathic abilities, Cyrus calmly replied, "Supremacy."

* * *

**_"And still so many things I want to say._**

**_ Remember all the songs you sang for me  
When we went sailing on an emerald bay"_**

**_He sung with so much passion, all for his daughter. He knew that she was the greatest gift he could ever receive. That she must be treasured._**

**_"And like a boat out on the ocean_**

**_ I'm rocking you to sleep  
the water's dark  
And deep inside this ancient heart  
You'll always be a part of me"_**

**_Mesprit, who had sacrificed her life to save his child, had told him so. She is a treasure._**

**_"Goodnight, my angel.  
Now it's time to dream  
And dream how wonderful your life will be"_**

* * *

Cyrus closed his eyes and looked down, "We could have been the supreme lords together, brother. But you chose to be in alliance with those pathetic beings," he clenched his fist tighter and opened his eyes, "just because they saved your daughter?!" His eyes were fierce, he was enraged. His breathing was short and psychotic, "A mistake on your behalf!"

Alexander was in the same position as he in before. He looked lifeless. Full of regret, he refused to look up to his brother. Cyrus huffed and took out a match from the match-box.

* * *

**_With a short pause to regain his breath, Alexander continued with glee._**

**_"Someday your child may cry_**

**_ And if you sing this lullabye  
Then in your heart  
There will always be a part of me"_**

* * *

Instead of wallowing about how the future would be, Alexander took one last breath before Cyrus tossed the lightened match inside the room. He smiled as he spent his last minutes thinking of his daughter tonight and how angelic she looked when she was asleep.

Cyrus closed the door and left, leaving his brother inside the blazed room. His eyes were blank and emotionless, feeling no remorse for what he had just done.

Alexander was being burnt alive, but he did not care. All that was running through his mind was the sweet melody of his singing, and his daughter being at peace with it.

**_"Someday we'll all be gone  
but lullaby's go on and on...  
They never die  
That's how you  
And I  
Will be."_**

* * *

**That's it for the prologue. I hope it wasn't too confusing. I tried my best to link it with the original fanfiction and personally I did try my best. Do correct me and review if possible to help me improve. Praising can be done via PM's so I'd appreciate it if you utilize the reviews and correct my mistakes.**

**I bid you Adieu****,**

**CuriousChesnaught.**


	2. Through eyes that see no light

**Welcome to the first official chapter of this fan-fiction. **

**I was originally going to post this sometime later but then again there was no harm in posting it now. I'll make no promises that I can't keep. Review if you can and help me make it better. The prologue won't be explained but note that it does contain major hints for future chapters. Try figuring it out.**

**From now on, authors note won't be included in chapters as they are not my thing. Any personal questions can be answered by looking at my Profile. However, any questions regarding the story will be answered through PM or email, if and only you provide me with yours. **

**Italics represent thought. Bold represent important events or headlines. **

**Enjoy the fan-fiction.**

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**Through eyes that see no light**

**~ Unova region; Striaton City; Dream Yard; 7:00 PM ~**

"Get up, weakling."

Brought down, stunned, silent, he has fallen; knocked full length on the remains of the once glorious battlefield. His head faces sideways, brushing the snow that buried his face, and avoided the sight of the blurry figure that inched closer to him. His eyes, or at least what's left of them, avert their gaze to the gates.

The gates croaked open as the wind passes by, the snow grinding against the rough base of the strained plates of steel, leaving the path bare. His heart flutters in hope of someone rushing to his aid through those very rods of iron and scrap. No one did.

For what seemed like hours, the figure stood there behind him, muttering something incomprehensible and then scowled at him as he tried to stand up. He squint his right eye and focused on his left, so that he had to make sense of what was happening.

"Look at you," grunted the attacker in a bitter tone, "how pathetic."

It could easily be evaluated that the aggressor was a female judging by her figure and long, flowing, locks of hair. Her attire reminded the poor man of the grim reaper himself; dark, intimidating and mysterious. The woman was unarmed; however, she took a great beating on the man. Her boots left a trail of marks blood on the fresh snow beneath.

She had a sinister grin that etched upon the corner of her lips and her pupils shrunk to a barely visible size. In fact, not only were they small, but they were shaky. It was like as if the assailant is an escaped mental patient from prison.

The woman reached out her half gloved hand and grasped the victims' hair firmly before pulling them up, hoisting him to her level against his will. "Tell me what the combination is," she demanded in a maniacal tone.

The wounded person flinched and managed to gasp out a pathetic bark. Praying that the assaulter might show mercy on him, he clasped both of his hands together and gathered every bit of energy he had to speak up, "Please, in the name of Arceus, do stop. Please, show mercy!"

The assailant smirked viciously and retorted, "Do I look like I came here searching for a sorry old man pleading for his life?" she backed up a step and roared down at him, "So tell me!" Her eyes scanned his injured body, looking for a place to kick next. He stared deep into her eyes, unable to find words to explain the situation he is in.

A fine young woman, who is as beautiful as can be, being a possible murderer? No, surely he is being manipulated. His thought process dulled and wandered off to unnecessary directions.

"Who are you?" The girl was taken aback by the sudden question. She growled under her breath and launched a colossal kick on his upper torso.

He clenched the area and groaned in pain. The wounds started to root down onto his will, it seemed. The man coughed, due to which he spit out some of his blood. Unfortunately for him, a small portion of that blood fell down on her boots. The assaulter frowned at his reaction.

"Look at it, look at it," the assailant bellowed. She starts to hop on one foot, giving the impression that she's dancing, "I've got your damned blood all over my boot," she rests her dirty boot on the man's face, applying pressure to his already deformed features.

This was excruciating. The man trembles from the feeling. Pain courses through every inch of his body. The assassin scoffs and removes her boot to rub them clean with the soil. Luckily for the man, this momentary distraction allowed him the leisure to vomit out whatever that had been crushed inside of him.

The assassin was alerted and she turned to the man's direction, "Alright then," she shot a repulsive glare at the suffering man below, "gag it out. Spew it everywhere, why don't you?"

The man turns his head to where she was standing and watches her roar down at him hysterically. His vision began to falter; he lowered his head, which dipped some of his dirty-blonde hair into his own puke. His breath grows weary and he gives in to the fierce, howling wintry wind with a final gasp.

"For the love of Arceus, you coward," she growled out fiercely, "get the hell up!"

He didn't respond. There was not a single motion he made, he did not even move slightly like he was previously moving; like an exhausted elektross. His breathing stopped, apparently, as the rise and fall of his chest had come to a halt.

The assassin smirked. No sign of movement, hmph, such a shame. She bent down and slid her hand in his coat pocket, which was supposedly a place where he keeps the written codes to unlock the combination which she was asking for.

_Here I thought he were actually up to the challenge._

Her hands landed on a piece of paper. Upon closely inspecting it she realized that it was the code to the combination of the safe that belonged to the Great Cross brothers. Satisfied, she got up and walked down the field of freshly poured snow. Without looking back, her grin grew wider and wider. It stretched to the point where it seemed that her face would rip apart.

_Dissect, dismember, dislocate. Dissect, dismember, dislocate. Dissect, dismember, dislocate. I must… dissect, dismember, dislocate._

Her breathing wasn't steady any more. No, it wasn't steady at all. There was no doubt that she was now panting heavily. Sweat ran down her forehead even though there was a stiff wintry storm that dominated the Unova weather. Her pupils once more began to shake. Her body quivered as a cold breeze blew past her and her facial expressions changed into a maniacal, psychopathic appearance.

Just before she was about to turn around and rip the dead man apart, she stopped smiling and stared at the ground, emotionless. "Now, little demon. We mustn't lose control right after a mission." She looked on ahead and horizontally raised her left hand in the air, "Use flamethrower."

The minute those words escaped her mouth, a black creature with a huge, red, matted-mane burst out from underneath the ground and with great speed went up to the corpse that lay on the battle floor.

It opened its mouth and inhaled a huge breath while slowly arching his head backwards, his chest puffed up. It closed its mouth and momentarily grinned at his command before exhaling a stream of controlled fire at the dead body.

It was sure to leave no trace of it behind.

The black monster, even after burning the victim, stepped on the burned remains. It smirked in the same way as his mistress did and used the flamethrower attack once more, seeking pleasure in the torture of the lifeless vessel.

The assassin walked on ahead, amused at the way her pokemon was toying with recently murdered man.

She placed her hand on her ear and applied slight force to it, "This is platinum contacting base. Come in, Land Rover," a low, static filled the air and there was a short murmur of words coming from the small device fixed in her ear. "We've acquired the code and are currently moving back to base. Mark my coordinates and send in the Beedrill or arrange means of any other transport as soon as possible."

She let go of the device and gazed ahead of her maniacally. Maybe a little slicing wouldn't be that bad. No, it wouldn't be bad, it would be absolutely disastrous. The murderer knew that once if she started to dislocate her kill, she would find it nearly impossible to stop.

She frowned and took one step after the other, talking to herself in a sadistic, monotone, voice, "Look at all the red."

***Kanto region; Pallet Town; Ketchum household; 7:30 pm***

Party poppers, music, decorations, streamers, food and drinks; all were being served at the grand celebration party in the Ketchum household.

The melody of the rhythmic beat bewitched the young people; they were swaying and moving according to the pounding beat of the ancient speakers that stood 4 feet tall. The mixed tunes vibrated in the air, sending shivers of excitement down their spines.

The food was being devoured by everyone who laid their eyes on it. The lively gossiping and rejoicing created a very positive atmosphere. Smiles were graced upon the faces of anyone that showed up to the party.

In the middle of the crowd stood a handsome man, possibly of 22 years of age, in a tux. His hair was coiffed and tamed much to his annoyance. His trusted pokemon partner was on his shoulder, passing people smiles as they walked past them. The two were occasionally patted on the back followed by the casual greeting of 'Hello!'

The whole experience was new to them, and they loved every moment of this party. Especially the food but unfortunately for them they were instructed as to not eat anything till after the guests had left.

The reason for throwing such a grand celebration was to congratulate Ash Ketchum; son of Delia Ketchum, for winning the title of Pokemon Champion: Kanto.

This prestigious title was assigned to him by the Kanto League; the league responsible for all tournaments and official matches held in the Kanto region.

The Ketchum residence had never been this active before, since the only people residing here were Delia and Ash Ketchum, along with some trusted pokemon companions. Actually, Ash Ketchum rarely came back to his house, so it was really just his mother and Mr. Mime.

He spends his days travelling and training to become the master he is sure to become. But now, all he has to do is to beat 2 other leagues, and he'll be awarded the rank of 'Champion Master'; the highest possible rank in all the regions.

There were some uninvited guests that appeared, too. Most of them were stubborn reporters. He was pretty sure to make a good impression to the people of his region.

Ash Ketchum nervously chuckled and exchanged heartfelt laughter with his Pokemon companion as the reporters attacked him with a series of questions. How they got in his home, he had no idea. But there was this hint of doubt in his mind that his friend; Gary Oak, let them in.

He didn't mind them asking him things he didn't need to answer, or subjects he's a little secretive about. No, he has matured quite a bit for that. Instead, he is rather calm about the whole situation and begins to answer them one by one.

His friends were all greeting one another and talking about how much they've grown since they first met. True, each and every one of them had grown to be fine young adults. They were all different; some of them even had even undergone personality changes. Not the bad kind of change, but it was enough to leave a memorable reputation.

Barry; the Sinnoh Elite-Four member and Kenny; a very notable top-coordinator were busy chatting about the various ways they applied to shine their empoleons' trident-like beak. They let out tiny chuckles as they exchanged Pokemon pun jokes. Brock, Cilan and the other Unova-companions joined their conversation and contributed their training methods, too.

This group was a lively one. As a matter of fact, they were the loudest and most boastful group of old-companions in the entire reunion with everybody trying their best to impress the other.

Zoey; a former top-coordinator who is now a formidable Pokemon breeder, Gary; a famous professor and Leaf; the Kanto Elite-Four member were busy talking about their interests and how they groom their respective eeveelutions. Zoey would drink slowly from her glass as Gary ranted on about how his day at the lab went. Leaf just slowly nodded her head from time to time, giving Gary the impression that he has her full attention.

May; a very well-known top coordinator and Drew; the head of the council of coordinators, were not far away from them, laughing as one whispered something in the others ear. They were together, and were a talk of the region when they started dating. Of course, Ash and all his other friends were very happy for them when they found out about the news.

Truth be told, everyone was expecting them to come together. May and Drew had a very fine chemistry between each other. It was the kind that keeps the other tame.

Max would fade into to background to hide from his friend Bonnie, who had a very different personality from him and kept nagging him about his 'nerd-glasses'.

Cameron, Ritchie and Trip, who were now having dignified positions in the Pokemon League, were discussing about the recent Junior-cup hosted in Unova and how much talented the new trainers are. They were joined by Clemont; the Kalos Elite-four member, who had excitedly mentioned that the computerized system the Junior-cup adapted was a part of his inventions.

He'd pose a few times, show off his equipment on hand and then in the end he would proudly end his demonstration with his infamous motto 'It's now possible thanks to science!'

Paul was silently drinking from his glass of wine. He is the champion of Sinnoh; a very respectable battler and trainer. Being honest, Ash was pretty surprised at first when Paul walked in through the front door. He wasn't sure that Paul would show up, but wasn't complaining or too excited when he did. He was being pestered by Ash's other companions and acquaintances, who were trying very hard to start a decent conversation with him.

Serena; the current Kalos Queen, Tracey; a well-known pokemon watcher and Misty; the Cerulean city gym leader, were having a discussion of their own. Ash assumed that it was something related to designs or strategies judging by the satisfied look on Tracey's face and how content Misty seemed to be with talking to Serena.

Serena passed Ash a gentle, warm, smile every time he caught her staring at him. Ash returned the gesture then walked around, conversing with the many people. They were all friendly and a little too loud for world-famous people. Every word from each of the conversations between the groups of people was filling the air with excitement and charisma.

Iris; the current Champion of Unova and fiancé to Cilan, was very busy petting the dragon-type pokemon. She carefully examined their health, making sure that they were well looked after and in their top mental and physical state. They cooed under the touch of her surprisingly soft palms that either traced their jaw-line or caressed their entire faces.

Sceptile's mega-stone had particularly caught her interest. She sensed a great deal of dragon-aura coming from his way. This intrigued her to know more about this giant grass starter. She twiddled with his tail, checked his focus and the sharpness of the leaves on his arms. Yes, he had qualified for being a very healthy and well looked-after dragon-egg-group pokemon.

The former champions, Cynthia, Wallace, Lance and Grace were here, too. They were busy talking about the 'old times'; when they used to be at their peak and were the rulers of the League Circuit. They were all looking grand. Of course, not as grand as they were when they were young, but grand nonetheless.

Delia struggled her way through the crowd of people, and stood on the stage that she had installed just for the occasion. She cleared her throat and gently tapped the surface of the microphone. The music stopped playing, thanks to the attentive D-J, who was surprisingly vigilant. Everybody stopped and turned their gaze towards the proud mother who was ready to deliver a dramatic speech.

"Hello, everybody, I'd like to start off by thanking-you for gracing us with your presence for my son; Ash Ketchum's, victory celebration," she paused. "It's been so long since his journey first started. 12 years; to be exact, and even before that, he would never stop going on about how he'd be the 'very-best'!"

"Even after his first journey, right after he'd come back from travelling, he'd dash out instantly the other day and begin to explore the next region, facing yet another adventure," she looked at the crowd, feeling sentimental, "all the days he spent without the comfort of his home. His first day as a trainer, his first tournament and his first league victory, I cling on to the memory of all these moments. The pokemon that were there to help him, including the ones that left, will always be honored."

"On his way he found so many good friends and companions, people who helped him grow and prosper into a great man and a wonderful trainer."

"I'm thankful to all of you who supported him, who guided him, inspired him and helped him learn the meaning of all that he has."

Ash looked at his mother and smiled at her as she continued, "My son has been through so much, I can't find worlds to express how proud I am, how proud his father would've been. He has always been my little boy, no doubt," she had tears in her eyes now.

"It's like it was only yesterday when he was saving the world, off to dissolve a feud between legendary Pokemon."

Everyone let out a small chuckle at that. Gary rolled his eyes and playfully ruffled Ash's hair, "Yeah, where ever he went, something was bound to screw up!" Ash groaned in annoyance and looked at his mother, telling her to continue.

"Ash, son, I am very, extremely, proud of the man you've become. You should know that, no matter what the circumstance, no matter what happens, we'll be there for you, supporting you," Delia's voice began to crack, "That is all I can say for now. I'm sorry if it is as short as it is, but really there is no possible way I can express myself today. You are my greatest gift, my most precious treasure. I love you, son. "

The audience all applauded Delia. They clapped for her heart-felt words. There was no doubt in anyone's heart that they would go to great lengths for Ash. He had done so much for them. Ash risked all that he was and all that he had for the sake of not only his friends, but for the world too.

Ash felt accomplished even though he was not the champion-master yet. This was no doubt an honor for him. He gave everybody his sincerest of gratitude. The party had sunk in; he was appreciated, loved for and cared for. That was all that he needed to know. All his friends gathered to celebrate his victory. This moment could not be stolen from him, no, not even by the mighty Arceus himself.

***Unova region; Striaton City; outside Dream-yard; 8:15 PM***

45 minutes. 45 minutes have passed since she last contacted the base to arrange her mode of transportation. The blue-haired assassin leaned back on the trunk of a grandfather tree and impatiently tapped her foot on the bricked path. A small purloin sat there silently near her feet, waiting for something to happen. It lazily rolled around, tossed out the dirty snow and in a bored manner flicked his tail up and down.

The murderer, better referred to as 'Platinum', let out a grunt and hissed under her breath as the cold wintry wind blew past her, "What in the name of Arceus are those idiots delaying the Beedrill for?"

A low chill ran down her spine after a few more minutes. She curled her fist into a ball and raised her right hand. As if on cue, a bird-like creature, whose feathers were arranged in a way much like how a gang-leader would dress as, landed on her hand.

The pokemon had red, deep, ruby-like eyes. His beak was long and pointed and even though it had scratch marks – presumably gotten from gruesome battles – the weapon-like feature still shone. He was an intimidating persona overall. His claws dug into her flesh as he tried to balance himself on her hand. Platinum didn't flinch. The bird steadied himself on her fist and let out a low, tired, cry.

He had a collar that strangled his neck but it didn't seem like he was affected by it in any way. From the looks of the collars' design, one could conclude that it was some 'walkie-talkie' or a 'speaker' or some sort. "There is no sight of the Beedrill, mistress. All districts within a good 6 mile radius have been checked," spoke out a robotic voice from his collar.

The woman eyed him curiously, "And have you seen traces of any other vehicle?"

He shook his head, after which the collar spoke again, "I apologize to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid I have not seen any arrangements, mistress."

"That is rather disappointing," she sighed, "Oh well. Not many damns I can give. Are you sure? No, I should not doubt your scouting. Honchkrows' are known to sore through the skies at night with great speed, even the blind ones."

"Even the blind ones? That's taking it too far now, Pi," remarked the cat-like creature bemusedly.

The bird huffed. His trainer was right. "Mistress, I request another chance to locate the Beedrill," he asked in a determined tone.

Platinum gave him a stern look, one that can make children start to cry. She raised her hand to aid him in his take-off, "Very well, keep watching out for the transportation in the skies. If it does not arrive in fifteen minutes, report back here, Yami," instructed the assassin.

The bird did as his mistress commanded and opened his large, elegant, wings. They were each a good three feet long in terms of length, and were more majestic if compared to a regular honchkrows' wings. He flapped them only once, and engaged his route in the skies. The gust his take-off produced sent another series of bone-chilling shivers through her body.

Platinum let out a low growl at the intensity of the cold. "Ren, I hope you won't mind using flamethrower at that bush."

The cat-like beast at her feet stretched its arms and yawned tiredly, "No, as a matter of fact I feel rather bored. So I might as well destroy something." Amazing as it sounds, this Pokemon in particular didn't require a translator like Yami. He could converse much like a human. His voice was hoarse and a little cracked. Almost as if he had trouble breathing.

"Sometimes I wonder whether you were born impish or were cursed with such a nature. Or rather, are you really that twisted as to seek pleasure with pain and loss all the time? Which one is it?"

"I tend to leave you wondering, love," his face scrunched up, "by the way, are you really in the position to say such things? Have you seen the way you behave in front of a crowd?"

In a sarcastic tone, the woman replied, "I don't see how that makes me weird. It's natural."

"Yeah right, natural my ass. To think that you're a nightmare is a misconception. You're really just a huge cover-up for a failed Frankenstein. Emotionless, hates fire and a mistake carved by a man who is guided by a psychotic self-interest."

"If you were not my Pokemon, I would've ripped your tongue out for that," she threatened darkly, "It is not my fault that the outcome was not what the blueprint promised."

"Look at you, all dark. You can't live without hunting poor souls."

The woman smirked at his childish complaint. "Again, you are changing the track of this conversation, my friend. You're fascinated with burning things more than I am for hunting."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Sherlock."

Platinum sighed, "No really, it has gone to a pretty ridiculous extent. I think your pyromania is getting out of hand, it's getting worse," she rubbed her hands and grunted. "Could you just set that insufferable bush on fire?"

"Oh no please, I insist that you tell me how you absolutely hate how I thrash around and set things ablaze." There was a nice, confident streak in his tone.

Platinum closed her eyes and commented, "Sometimes I wish you never had the ability to commute in our language. Oh, and, I'd rather see you tearing something than to burn it. It leaves a very displeasing stench; burning things. The ashes," her nose scrunched up in disgust, "don't even let me start on those. The very idea of burnt remains entering your nose and getting stuck in your hair is displeasing so why would I find this amusing?"

The purloin sighed, "Trust me, it's better to have ashes in your mane than to be dealing with the bloody remains of those pitiful opponents that you seem to prey on."

"That my old friend, I agree with. But the inner satisfaction of seeing their blood-shot eyes is better is it not? The utter shock and pain that graces their features as they die, have you ever noticed that?"

Platinum noticed the bemused smirk on her pets face. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I get to see that a lot considering that it is me who cleans after you're done with your prey. Still, even you find it amusing; my habit of burning things. Why comment on my mental incapability?" asked the cat-like demon.

"I have my reasons," replied Platinum.

"So it seems," Ren smiled and took in a deep breath, letting small traces of ember enter his nostrils by doing so. He exhaled loudly and aimed the unstable stream of flames at the bush, setting it on fire.

"I love the after effects. Especially if the object on fire is something more," his smile grew and he chuckled out, "humanoid."

"Getting overwhelmed by the fire again, I see," remarked Platinum.

Ren grinned and stood on his two hind-legs, "Guilty as charged, milady." He let out another yawn and asked, "What on bloody earth is delaying those idiots?"

Platinum let out an exasperated sigh, "I don't know. Might as well go there by sea, but I have no intention of getting drenched in the cold, icy, Unova waters."

"I agree. Getting back to the base by air is also out of the question judging by how cold it is."

"That is not a bad idea. We could use Yamikarasu as a way to reach base," suggested Platinum.

"Yami might freeze to his death," stated Ren. He arched his eyebrow and looked at her way curiously.

The assassin frowned, "I don't care whether he lives or not. He's a valuable asset to my team, though, so you're right. That is out of the question." She rested her hand behind her head and continued, "If only my Passport was validated, I could have traveled down south and board a plan or a boat."

"What do you suggest we do then, Princess?"

"That's simple, we wait."

They stood there for a while, in silence. Platinum occasionally warmed her palms using the fire and rubbed them together to avoid frost-bites. The dead-silence was broken by Ren, you cleared his throat as questioned, "If it is alright to ask, why the hell did you ask me to dig underground before engaging in combat against such a weak opponent?"

The woman smirked and answered, "You see my good friend, I have a very," she stood up straight and stretched, "let's say, eccentric personality. My reasons are very unorthodox, so let it pass."

Ren nodded and shook his head, "I don't get it. No, on second thought, I don't get you. Never have and I'm certain I never will. It's been nine years!"

There was a flapping noise at a distance and the woman assumed that it was Yami who had returned. She gazed at the purloin and smirked, "Patience friend," then stretched out her arm horizontally for her flying companion to land at.

The honckrow grabbed her hand and huffed, "Mistress, Yamikarasu reporting. The Beedrill has landed, and the chopper is in good shape, it seems. It is at a good distance from here, possibly at the other end of the Dream-yard."

Platinum looked at the Pokemon disappointedly, "Your reason to not guide them here is?"

"I couldn't, mistress. My apologies, but they're very stubborn and are rather wild for our own kind. I was also outnumbered." Yamikarasu regained his posture and continued, "They're five humans, possibly a squad. Each armed with mechanical weapons and a party of four Pokemon each."

"You can easily take them out. Yami, you have the element of surprise."

"Yes, but unfortunately by the looks of their attire, I deduced the fact that they have heat sensors equipped hence why I couldn't stay for long."

The blue-haired assassin nodded, "I see. You may return now." She recalled the large bird back to his Premier Ball.

"Here I thought that I'd go back home without having some real fun. I've been brought new toys. How quaint, right?"

Those insufficient idiots! Were they not briefed with their mission properly or are their brains just as hallow as she seemed?

Ren let out a small laugh and walked ahead, "You're pissed, it seems. You're going to kill them, aren't you?"

Platinum fake gasps, "Me? Kill them? How judgmental of you Ren," she puts her hand on her chest, implying that she's heartbroken, "I'd never do such a thing."

"Right, I am actually going to pretend that you are joking here," there was a sarcastic hint in his voice.

"Kill...no, not that," her face darkened as soon as she followed the small Pokemon, "I'll fucking rip them apart," a sinister smirk graced her features as she hissed out, "I'm going to make sure that they scream in pain. I'm not going to kill them myself; I'll make sure that they beg for me to end their pitiful life."

The purloin shook his head. He felt the cold snowy path under the pads of his paws, "Ah, there are some things I enjoy. Then there are some things I love."

***Kanto region; Pallet Town; Ketchum household; 8: 35 pm***

The party had died after a good five hours of celebrating. The guests left, leaving a few people behind for the after party. Namely, Iris, Cilan, Drew, May, Serena, Misty, Brock, Gary and Bonnie stayed back late as they weren't exactly in a rush to get home.

Ash was in the kitchen, building a tower of exquisite food on his plate. When placing a final meatball over his masterpiece, he let out a satisfied sigh, "Done."

Delia and Serena went out for a walk in order to escape the aftermath of the loudness of the party.

"So Ash, what're your plans?" inquired Gary. He stretched his arms to ease their tiredness.

"What do you mean?" he asked half-minded.

Iris rolled her eyes and leaned back to rest in Cilan's warm embrace, "What do you think he'll do? I think he has plans for the Unova league, right?" Cilan rested his chin on her right shoulder and smiled contently.

Bonnie grinned at Iris's question, "Hey, I'm going to enter the Unova league, too!"

"Awesome, Bonnie," praised Ash, "We'll be rootin' for ya," he yelled out.

"That sounds delightful, Bonnie. We'll be expecting your arrival in Castelia City," added in Cilan.

"Castelia City?" Said Drew in a confused tone, "I heard it's in Nimbasa City."

"No, no It's in Opelucid City like the location ID says," Bonnie corrected.

Iris frowned which was a very obvious signal to May that something wrong had happened. She coughed out loud, after which Misty looked at her way. May motioned towards Iris and gave Misty a look that meant for her to ask what's wrong.

Misty casually shrugged her shoulders and mouthed 'I don't know' before slumping back in her seat.

Ash entered the living room, his hands steadying a huge plate decorated with many snacks, "What? I heard it was supposed to be hosted in Driftveil."

With an exasperated sigh, Iris sat up and tensed her shoulders, "It's actually not decided yet. The Council still hasn't reached a decision after a recent incident."

"Can you tell us more, if it doesn't make you feel uneasy," Asked Brock carefully.

"No, it's alright. You see," Iris looked at Cilan's way and cleared her throat, "The original location for the Unova league was supposed to Opelucid City; where my current residence is. However…"

Cilan sensed his fiancés distress and continued, "The stadium and residential land for the trainers has been recently attacked by what sources say a 'Huge white ice-monster'."

"No, it wasn't Kyreum, I'm sure of it," she turned and faced the others, "I strongly believe that Kyreum is not responsible for the attack and even if he was, there has to be a reason why it attacked. There are no bad dragon-types, and this one is a legend that is supposed to bring good-tidings as my village-elder states."

Gary put a finger on his lips as he tried digesting this information, "So, that's alright. What does Professor Juniper say about this?"

Iris shrugged her shoulders, "She has some other theory unfortunately."

May suddenly jumped up from her seat, breaking her cuddling position with Drew, and asked, "Is that why Unova is cursed?" Everyone looked at her way curiously.

"What? What do you mean?" muffled out Ash from his stuffed mouth.

Misty arched her eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Curse…Seriously May?"

"Hey I believe what I see and those online videos are very persuasive," she defended. Drew shook his head at his girlfriends antics and pecked her lightly on the cheek, "You should check the sources, too, airhead." A devilish smirk was plastered on Mays face and she countered with, "Whatever, grass-head."

Gary looked at their way and bluntly asked, "Guys, seriously?"

They smiled and sat in their previous cuddle position, ignoring Gary.

"Those are rumors to tame the natives of my region. After the attack, our region has been facing abnormal weather and climatic changes. They can be severe as our research labs state and may bring catastrophic conclusions to Unova," explained Iris.

Cilan nodded but closed his eyes to think, "Believe you me, after spending years with my fiancé I have acquired much knowledge about Dragons and how they work," he opened his eyes and confidently stated, "This is not Kyreum's work alone."

"Have the Officers had a say in this?" asked Brock.

"None, they are silent till now. Though, it does seem odd," affirmed Iris. "As champion of Unova, it is my duty to be of service to my region in any way possible. This is just an event."

"But it's affecting Unova in more ways than one. The food, the Pokemon, people…the resources, weather changes disturb their balance," explained Gary.

Ash gulped down his food, wiping off the remains on his mouth with his sleeve. "Anything I can do to help? I think I have some authority now that I am a champion too."

Misty frowned, "You should focus on the growing crime rate here in Kanto, Champion."

Ash chuckled sheepishly at that and scratched the back of his head, "Right, sorry," he sat up straight and patted his chest to ease the growing pain of over-stuffing his face, "Still though, if you're in trouble we're here to help."

Iris smiled and nodded his way, "Thank-you for the support."

"Iris, will there be a Unova league this year?" Bonnie inquired in a desperate tone.

"Yes, yes we will. However, I'm not sure of the location. Don't worry; we'll inform the trainers participating of the location when it's decided," answered Iris.

Bonnie hugged her bag tightly and let out a relieved sigh, "Oh thank god."

Everyone chuckled lightly at her reaction and talked the night away. Their discussion ranged from Pokemon to the recent theft at the Littleroot Gym.

***Sinnoh; Mt. Coronet; NPCRO base; 9:00 pm***

"Almost there, it seems," pointed out Ren as they flew nearer to the base. He dug his claws into the cloth of the pilot seat as the Beedrill jerked in the air.

Platinum sighed at the intensity of the blizzard. She stared down at the huge structure of glass and bricks and wondered of the possibilities she'd have if this was destroyed. Her thoughts were led by the barely audible humming sound coming from the engine of the Beedrill.

The hovering metal war-machine struggled to make its way past the cold, freezing storm that blew against its motion. It racketed and raced against the stream of white pouring from the sky in endless amounts.

"You okay?" asked Ren.

"Hmm," she half-heartedly responded.

Ren gazed at her with his fiery eyes burning with curiosity, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Platinum grunted in response and pulled on the lever that was supposedly going to descend the Beedrill, "No."

"Do you really expect me to stop asking after that?" asked Ren in an amused tone.

"Stop talking so I can focus."

Ren smiled at Platinum's hitched shoulders and piercing stare. "You mean you don't know-,"

"How to land this stupid thing? I do not."

"That's reassuring," he commented.

"Like you know any better." She pushed some buttons which seemed to look clever from Ren's perspective but in reality she was just trying her luck.

"You look like you know what you're doing." Ren clenched the back of the pilots' seat and held his breath for he knew that they would crash any moment now.

"Get ready to land," warned Platinum. Her smile grew and she tugged at the lever in an attempt to land in on the huge patch of grass and ice.

Her try, however, was an utter failure since it was no help in slowing them down. Instead of falling, or landing roughly on the smooth, soft, snow, she crashed the Beedrill to the 7th floor of the base.

The grass shattered upon contact and the wings of the Beedrill were thrashed to bits. Its wings dangled from the strong wiring and the pilots' seat blew up, causing a huge fiery blast. The 7th floor wasn't in too good a shape either. Broken glass, ruble, loose wiring and paper sprawled all over the marbled floor looking like one big heap of expensive mess. The sofas, chairs and desks were broken down into a pile of nothingness.

"Screw you," coughed out Platinum from behind the curtain of smoke. The wings caught fire but thankfully the fire alarm triggered and water showered down from the sprinklers just in time.

"Me? What did I do?" Ren asked in an enraged voice. He scrunched his nose as the water flushed his fur down on his eyes.

"You could have told me to read a darn manual for this flying-a-Beedrill crap!" yelled out Platinum.

"So now I'm the nanny?" Ren questioned bemused. He turned around to see the air-craft and his eyebrows hiked up as he frowned, "There goes my chance of launching a missile."

"I see you two are better than ever," exclaimed a cheerful voice from the other side of the room.

Platinum and Ren turned their heads so their eyes to meet the source of this voice. The smoke cleared to reveal a man in his late forty's, dressed up like a lawyer, making his way past the ruble and dirt. He waved his hands in the air, dismissing the smoke.

"Pascal," they said in unison.

"As always, you just love to make a dramatic entrance, don't you?" his expression was calm yet for some reason his smile irked Platinum.

"What do you want?" Ren growled out.

"Ren? Is that you?" Pascal gasped and shook his head to mock him, "Is that how you ask a friend?"

"All I see is trash ahead of me. Where's the friend?"

"Ah. That's not the best comeback you can muster up," Pascal commented while taking out a small steel container from the inside pocket of his coat. He removed the cap and took a small sip, "Don't worry Pi. I've heard of your mission. You killed an entire squadron yet your cloths don't have any traces of blood. How do you do it?"

Platinum silently glared at him, indicating her intolerance towards him. He took another sip and coughed, "The boss wants to see you."

"Yeah yeah, tell the old man I'm tired," she opened her arms as if to motion to the area around them, "I'm wet and I'm cold. Maybe if I have time, I'll see him later."

"You're abusing your position, Pi," he frowned at her way and waved his steel container in the air slowly. After stirring the liquid he sighed, "If I were you I could have done so much. The NPCRO deserves this much."

"Yeah but you aren't me," Platinum looked at his way, clearly irritated, "so stop fucking saying that you could be in my place." _No one deserves the shit I go through._

Pascal chuckled at her way and walked closer, "It would be a tragedy if something happened to you, though. Ever wonder about that?"

Ren's fur lifted as he growled, "If something happens to her, you'll be the first one who's gonna regret being born."

"Come now. If something did happen I'll be obliged to carry on your duties. After all, it would be a shame to discontinue your legacy."

Platinum glared at him with eyes seeping hate. She felt a knot in her throat as a jolt of rage pulsed through her body. He clenched her fist tightly and took in a small breath of air, "Clean up this mess, Pascal," then started to walk past him to take the stairs down.

"You know, the boss would not be pleased when he sees this."

Ren smiled hysterically, flashing his sharp fangs at Pascal, "I wouldn't be pleased if I saw this mess when I come back, either. Someone is gonna get ripped."

"Is that a threat, Ren?" questioned Pascal in a calm manner.

"Wanna find out?"

Pascal shook his head, closed the opening of his container and gently tucked it in his inside pocket, "A polite pass."

"Heh," Ren ran up to Dawn but turned around at the end of the hall to yell out, "Coward!"

After he left, Pascal took off his coat and pulled up his sleeves to reveal two fully tattooed arms. "At least I'm not the one who's shutting themselves inside their own self."

He sighed as he bent down and picked one piece of rock at a time. _This is going to be a long night._

***Sinnoh; Mt. Coronet; NPCRO base; Platinum's Quarters; 9: 30 pm***

Bang.

She closed the door with up most force and rushed to the bathroom, grumbling something incomprehensible along the way.

"Screw everything!" she yelled out.

Ren entered and stretched his arms tiredly before pouncing on his pillow-like-bed. Before he landed, though, he glowed in a neon blue light and slowly changed his physique. He grew in size and his snout was larger. His paws each had three sharp blade-like claws and a huge, flowing, mane erected from the back of his head. It was red and had traces of black marks, tamed by a large blue bead. Majority of his fur was a mix between dirty-grey and teal and his fangs were much intimidating from before. He was a zoroark.

"Why so grumpy?" he half-mindedly asked as he buried himself under the pillows.

Platinum responded with a low grunt from the bathroom. Ren chuckled to himself. "Was the death-poll high enough for you today?"

"Shut-up, Ren," growled out Platinum.

"Hmph. You know, I like you better when you're brushing my mane and calling me 'Renny'," complained Reniguma.

Platinum came out wearing her usual night-wear, a black shirt with a no smoking sign in the middle and dark checked pajama's. Her hair was down and reached her hips. They were glossy and downright well-taken-care-of. "Careful so no one can hear you."

Ren yawned out, "Why?"

"Because," Platinum sat on the end of her own bed and stretched her arms, "it's bad for my reputation."

"I hate the formality of the whole 'use the designated names only' rule," commented Ren. "You are Dawn. I am Reniguma. Why is that bad for our reputation?"

Deciding to ignore the pointlessness of his question, Platinum fell backwards and smiled, "Today was satisfying till sir douche face appeared."

"You massacred an entire squad," stated Ren in a 'are you serious' tone.

Platinum shifted her head to face him and smirked, "You were just as excited as I was."

Ren shook his head, "Peer pressure."

"Are you serious, Ren?"

"Very," he surely replied, "I am easily persuaded even today. Nothing has changed."

Platinum frowned at that and stared at the ceiling. _Nothing has changed._ Those words echoed through her head. For some reason though, she couldn't stand her routine now. There are things she does not do, things that she fails to understand.

Around her, when she has some time to spare and walks outside to check on the world, she sees people genuinely happy. _Why though? Isn't happiness an emotion that blinds the truth?_ All good things in this world are destined to fail. But then they rise again and the cycle repeats itself.

_Things are going to be different this time._ She reassured herself. _We'll make sure that the light doesn't prevail._

"What're you thinking?" asked Ren while his eyes were still closed.

"You see," Platinum raised her hands and clapped them to close the lights, "unlike the light that people say is reassuring and is always destined to spread 'goodness', justice and truth…I prefer the dark as it does more than their so-called 'light'."

The zoroark lifted his head and looked at her way confused, "Come again?"

"The dark, Ren," she repeated annoyingly, "it is more comforting."

Ren chuckled and dropped his head backwards. "Go to sleep."

"It hides my insecurities, never fails to compromise for my distress and soothes me. Its embrace curtains me from the harshness of reality. It gives me time to realize that it's only just me, and the dark. It's not as scary as it seems," Platinum absentmindedly continued.

"Sleep, Dawn," Ren sternly commanded.

"Don't call me that," she snarled back and closed her eyes to get some sleep.


End file.
